Know How to Stay Active and Fit Over 50
Posted by Scott Fisher | Filed under Health & Fitness
Now that you are over 50 you may be wondering about the “Golden Years” to come. You have probably been working non stop for decades and are feeling both happy and nervous about the free time to come. Getting the most out of your retirement is as simple as getting healthy and staying active.
You have seen the ads targeting people your age. You see pictures of seniors hiking, swimming, and even rock climbing. Your peers talk about time on the tennis courts and golf courses. So many senior men and women enjoy activities with loved ones such as bicycling and ballroom dancing. Many have lives that are full and active, but you may wonder how you can enjoy retirement in that way. The secret to having the best years of your life is to achieve fitness over 50.
Decades of stressful work 5 or more days a week may have gotten you out of shape. Many people turn 50 and find that they are sedentary, overweight, unfit, and unhealthy. If you remain sedentary after retirement, you will soon become even more out of shape and unhealthy. A sedentary life can also have very serious and many times deadly health repercussions like a heart attack, diabetes, or cancer.
If you begin a fitness program tailored to your over 50 needs you be able to get the most out of your retirement and avoid illness. It is not hard to become fit, so do not be intimidated by your age. You may not start at the same intense level you would have in your youth, but you can still get the same fantastic results. The first step is to design a quality exercise regiment.
Strength training or bodybuilding over 50 should be a major component of your exercise program. Bodybuilding increases your muscle mass, which will make you stronger for all of the activities you want to do when you are older. Rock climbing, long hikes, and family bike rides require you to have strong muscles that will not give out on you. Bodybuilding can prepare you for this activity and keep you healthy enough to stay free and independent for many years to come.
Cardio and Stretching exercises are an important part of exercise. Cardio workouts strengthen your heart, lungs, and circulation. It increases your endurance for activities like swimming and tennis. Yoga and other stretching workouts keep your joints and muscles flexible for activities like ballroom dancing all evening with someone special.
Although exercise is an important part of fitness, you also need to practice good nutrition and make positive lifestyle changes. You should reduce fats and sugary carbohydrates in your diet. Also increase your consumption of protein, nutrients, and water. Positive lifestyle changes means that you should reduce areas of stress in your life. You should also stop any habits that harm your health, such as smoking or alcohol.
You have complete control over your level of activity. The healthier you are, the easier it will be to do all the things you dreamed of doing in your retirement. If you want to have fun in the “Golden Years” to come, today is the day to start a fitness program.
For more information on over 50 bodybuilding, visit out Scott Fishers website in the above mentioned link. Scott Fisher writes regularly on topics related to fitness over 50.
Tags: body building, bodybuilding, exercise, fat loss, fitness, Health & Fitness, lose weight, over 50, over 50 fitness, senior fitness, strength training, weight loss, weight training
Best Muscle Building - Weight Lifting Techniques
Posted by Wakelin Smith | Filed under Health & Fitness
Weight lifting is a popular strength training activity for people who want to lose weight, improve strength and bone density, increase muscle tone and build muscles. Many people who weight lift do not know how to do so safely.
First and foremost, one of the key principles you’ll need to master is what the appropriate weight amount you should be lifting. Know that, if you are not comfortable lifting a weight at least 15 times, you probably have the wrong weight. The best thing you can do is take it slow, lifting a single set of 15 repetitions making sure your weight amount is correct. This will go along way towards you building up strength in a fast and effect manner. If you start out lifting the incorrect weight amount, you will only wind up hurting yourself.
Skipping warm ups is one common mistake made by weight lifters, both beginners and experienced lifters make this mistake. Ten minute warm- ups of stretching or any form of aerobic activity should be done before attempting to lift weights. Warm ups help to decrease the risk of injuries and should not be left off.
Proper form should be mastered while utilizing the correct weight lifting techniques. If you don’t have proper form you can risk injury. In addition, the exercises will not be effective and may work against you. Good form is essential to building muscle mass correctly, and it proper form is one of the core principles of the sport.
Weights that are too light will not provide sufficient stimulation for muscle building and weights that are too heavy can cause muscle injury. Ensure that you are able to lift your weights at least fifteen times before feeling your muscles getting tired. Learning how to keep the proper form is necessary before you attempt to start lifting.
Rest is a part of the sport. Practicing at the correct weight with good technique and proper form requires that you give your body a chance to rest. Weight lifting is vigorous, and you don’t want to overwork muscles by doing the same thing every day. It is essential that you give your muscles a chance to rest. Vary your routine and work on different muscles for the best result.
Slow down. Learning to use weight lifting methods can be exciting. It is important to remember, however, that rushing only results in poor form and possible injury. When doing repetitions, it is important to take it slow, isolate the muscles and work with your body and not against it.
By adhering to these simple tips on how to lift weights safely, you will reduce the risks of common injuries such as fractures, sprains, joint dislocations and long term injuries such nerve damage, bone stress, muscle overload and rotator cuff damage.
Looking for info on a weight lifting program that really works?? Find out more about bodybuilding routines.
Tags: body building, bodybuilding, bodybuilding exercise, bodybuilding routines, build muscle, build muscle fast, building muscle mass, Health & Fitness, how to build muscle, weight lifting exercises, weight lifting techniques, weight training programs, weight training routines
Discover How to Determine Daily Calorie Intake for Gaining Muscle
Posted by Cecil Kelly | Filed under Health & Fitness
Adequate nutrition and calories from good sources are of primary importance to gain lean muscle. You need to eat big to bulk up; there is no way around it. But exactly how much is “big”? Use the formula given here to calculate your own requirements.
Muscle building programs revolve around optimizing daily caloric needs to your specific requirements. Eating more can make you gain fat, not muscle. And eating less can make you never gain the bulky muscles you wish to build. Here is the four part formula:
1) Calculating lean muscle mass: For this measurement you need a skin caliper which will give you percentage of body fat. Consider your percentage of body fat comes to 10% and you weigh–0 lb. That means your fat mass is– lb. Now to calculate lean muscle mass, subtract fat mass from total body mass. In this case it comes to–0-14=126lb.
2) Find RMR (resting metabolic rate): RMR, the number calories a day you require to just keep on breathing, can be calculated by multiplying lean muscle mass by 10 and adding 500. In our example, it works out to 1760 calories (126 x 10 + 500).
3) Calculating calorie intake to maintain current weight: To find out how many calories you need per day to maintain your current weight, multiply your RMR by Activity Index. If you lead a sedentary lifestyle, your activity index is 1.2. If you lead a moderate lifestyle, your activity index is 1.4. And if you lead an active lifestyle, your activity index is 1.6.
Consider that you have a moderate level of activity. Therefore you’ll need 1760 x 1.4 i.e. 2464 calories each day to maintain your weight.
4) Positive calorie intake to gain muscle mass: To gain muscle not fat, you need to eat about 500 more calories per day than the number you have calculated in the previous step. If you are indeed gaining fat you should cut down your intake by 250 calories and see how it goes. While if you are not building muscle it is essential to consume 250 additional calories.
Make a 15 day nutrition plan and see whether you are progressing in the right direction. If you hit the right plan and also exercise and rest correctly, there’s no stopping you from turning into a hulk in weeks.
To find out more about muscle building, check out Cecil Kelly’s excellent articles on weight training.
Tags: body building, bodybuilding, exercise, fitness, health, Health & Fitness, muscle building, muscles, weight loss, weight training
